Wilma lee cooper biography of christopher
She was 90. Born Wilma Lee Leary (February 7, – September 13, ), known professionally as Wilma Lee Cooper, was an American country music entertainer. She was a guitarist, banjo player and vocalist, and was given the title of "First Lady of Bluegrass" by the Smithsonian Institution in [1].
Born in Randolph County, West Wilma Leigh (as her name was spelled at birth) began her musical journey, reportedly at age five, as a member of the Leary Family. Led by her parents, Jacob “Jake” and Lola Leary, the group gleaned its repertoire from the pages of shape-note hymnals.
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Wilma Lee Cooper, who with her husband Stoney Cooper and their band the Clinch Mountain Clan, recorded some of the purest, most evocative and rhythmically furious mountain music of the 20th Century, passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at her home in Sweetwater, TN, from natural causes.Wilma Lee Christopher - Raised in central West Virginia, she took to music early and was a part of her family's gospel group The Leary Family from her teens. Following her marriage to Dale "Stoney" Cooper she toured as 'Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper' performing both country and Christian songs while simultaneously earning a degree from Davis and Elkins College.